Quick summary
A, an and the are called articles. "A" and "an" point to any one thing (not a fixed one). "The" points to a particular thing that both speaker and listener know. Many exam mistakes come from articles, so learn the sound rule.
Hindi help: a/an = कोई एक (अनिश्चित), the = वही / खास (निश्चित). Marathi help: a/an = कोणताही एक, the = तोच / ठराविक.
A and An (indefinite articles)
- Use with singular countable nouns only: a pen, an apple (not "a pens", not "a water").
- The choice depends on the first SOUND, not the first letter.
- "an" before a vowel sound: an egg, an hour (h is silent), an honest man, an MLA (em-), an X-ray (ex-).
- "a" before a consonant sound: a book, a university (yoo-), a European (yoo-), a one-rupee coin (wun-), a uniform.
- Use a/an for job or one of many: She is a teacher. He is an engineer.
The (definite article)
- A thing already mentioned: I saw a dog. The dog was black.
- Only one of its kind: the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky.
- Rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges: the Godavari, the Arabian Sea, the Himalayas, the Sahyadri.
- Superlatives and order words: the best student, the first prize, the last bus.
- Famous books, newspapers: the Ramayana, the Mahabharata.
- Groups/classes: the poor, the rich, the Indians.
- Musical instruments: She plays the flute.
No article
- Names of people, cities, states, single mountains: Shivaji, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Mount Everest.
- Languages and subjects: She speaks Marathi. I like maths.
- Meals, games: We had lunch. They play cricket.
- Uncountable and plural nouns used in general: Milk is good for health. Books are our friends.
- School, church, hospital, bed when used for their main purpose: He goes to school (as a student). But: His father went to the school to meet the teacher.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| He is honest man. | He is an honest man. |
| She is a M.A. | She is an M.A. |
| I have an uniform. | I have a uniform. |
| Sun rises in the east. | The sun rises in the east. |
| The Mumbai is a big city. | Mumbai is a big city. |
Practice questions
Q1. Fill in a/an/the: "I waited for ___ hour."
an (hour starts with a vowel sound – h is silent).
Q2. "She is ___ best singer in our class."
the (superlative).
Q3. "He bought ___ umbrella and ___ umbrella was blue."
an, the.
Q4. "___ Narmada flows towards the west."
The (name of a river).
Q5. "My uncle is ___ useful person."
a (useful starts with the "yoo" sound).
Q6. Correct the sentence: "Ganga is a holy river."
The Ganga is a holy river.
Exam tip
Say the word aloud: if it begins with a vowel sound use "an", otherwise "a". Use "the" when the thing is particular, unique or already mentioned.